


red

by euriele



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-02-18 16:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2354309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/euriele/pseuds/euriele
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the colour of your saliva. It's the colour staining his armour.</p>
            </blockquote>





	red

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kalgalen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalgalen/gifts).



You get into Locus’ head.

That was a bad thing to do.

But you only realise it was a bad thing when he’s on top of you, your head snapping left and right under the force of his punches. You can taste blood in your mouth, can barely see anymore because your eyes are swelling shut. You hear a crack a while ago and felt the pain radiating from your nose across the whole of your face.

You stopped trying to fight back after the fifth punch.

You stopped counting after eight.

You’re on the edge of consciousness by the time Locus stops. He’s breathing heavily when he leans back, when he lowers his fists. Your head is lolling back, blood on your chin and cheeks - your mouth is so thick with blood you can barely breathe.

You manage a groan when Locus stands, when the weight on your chest is gone. Roll onto your side, spit red onto the grass. You’re tired, the edges of your vision darkening. You want to give up.

You remember the Reds. You remember Caboose and Grey and Epsilon. You remember your sister.

You remember Tucker.

Grip the grass tightly. Try to push yourself up on a shaky arm. The movement makes you ache all over, makes you groan.

A boot comes down on your back and pushes you into the ground.

" _Stay. Down_."

Locus.

You don’t fight. You’re too tired.

You rest your forehead against the dirt. Dribble blood onto the ground. You’re vaguely aware of Locus behind you on his radio, but you can’t hear what he says.

You see his footsteps pass in your peripheral, hear them fade away.

Slump against the grass.

Pass out.

 

—

 

"-sh! Wash! Wash, c’mon!"

Someone’s tapping your cheek lightly. You struggle to open your eyes - they’re swollen, remember? There’s a green blur above you.

"Wash!"

Carolina.

“‘Lina,” you mumble.

"I’m here, little brother," she says. Her fingers are smoothing your hair back from your forehead. "I’m here."

You roll onto your side and spit. Your saliva isn’t nearly as red as it had been before. Carolina’s hand is on your back, helping you to move into a sitting position. Your face and chest both ache terribly.

You realise Carolina is alone.

"Where are the others?" you ask. You’re voice is thick.

"They’re back at the tower."

"Are they all alright? Nobody got hurt?"

She goes still. There are warning bells in your head.

“‘Lina -“

"Felix got the jump on the Reds and Blues," she says. She’s not looking at you. "Almost blew them to bits. Tucker tried to attack him while his back was turned and…"

She doesn’t need to finish. You know what’s happened.

"Grey tried to save him." Carolina’s looking down at her hands. "He just… lost too much blood."

You press your hand against your eyes. Breathe.

"Where is he?"

Carolina looks up.

"Where is he?"

She stands. “I’ll take you.”

Tucker’s body is lying in the sand near the destroyed signal jammer. Even from the distance you’re stood at, you can see the red on the front of his armour, in the sand around him. The Reds, Caboose and Grey are standing around him; Epsilon’s hologram hovering right above Tucker’s heart.

You stop dead.

"Wash?"

You stare at the body.

"Wash, c’mon."

"I can’t." Your voice is cracking.

"Wash -"

"I can’t, ‘Lina. I can’t." You’re breathing too quickly.

"Okay, okay. We’ll stay here." She waves away Grey when the doctor starts making her way towards the two of you.

Carolina lets you lean against the wall of the base and watches as you run a hand over your face. It’s taking you a lot not to breakdown, to not scream and cry because one of the last people you actually give a shit about is lying dead less than fifty feet from where you’re stood and you weren’t  _there._

You weren’t there and Tucker died.

You take a shaky breath and look at Carolina. “Was it painless?”

She doesn’t look at you.

“‘Lina, did he die in pain?”

It’s a few terse moments before she shakes her head. “No. Epsilon made sure he didn’t.”

You close your eyes.

Allow yourself that one small comfort.

**Author's Note:**

> written for kalgalen, whose birthday is tomorrow


End file.
